Author
There are a wide variety of non-governmental organisations providing legal, social and integration assistance to international protection applicants and refugees in Ireland.[1] In general, NGOs and UNHCR do not have access to the airport or the International Protection Office. However, on several occasions since the introduction of the revised international protection procedure, the Irish Refugee Council has been facilitated in accompanying vulnerable applicants when making their application for protection at the International Protection Office.[2] Additionally, legal representatives are permitted to accompany applicants when they undergo their substantive interview at the International Protection Office. However, in practice this rarely occurs, save for in the case of particularly vulnerable applicants.[3]
[1] UNHCR, ‘Non-Governmental Organizations in Ireland’, available here.
[2] Information provided by Irish Refugee Council Information and Advocacy Service, January 2024.
[3] ibid.